# How to filter out rows with a certain value in Excel

Use the not-equal operator in FILTER: `=FILTER(A2:D9,C2:C9<>G1)` returns every row except those whose status is in `G1`.

**Excel:** `=FILTER(A2:D9,C2:C9<>G1)` (Excel 2021, 2024 and Microsoft 365)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Task | Owner | Status | Due |  | Hide status | Done |
| Draft budget | Ana | Done | 2026-05-04 |  |  |  |
| Book venue | Raj | In progress | 2026-05-08 |  |  |  |
| Order badges | Lee | Not started | 2026-05-12 |  |  |  |
| Send invites | Ana | Done | 2026-05-06 |  |  |  |
| Confirm catering | Kim | In progress | 2026-05-15 |  |  |  |
| Print programs | Lee | Not started | 2026-05-20 |  |  |  |
| Arrange AV | Raj | Done | 2026-05-11 |  |  |  |
| Plan seating | Kim | Not started | 2026-05-22 |  |  |  |

Formula in F3: `=FILTER(A2:D9,C2:C9<>G1)`

Result (spills 5 × 4): Book venue, Raj, In progress, 5/8/2026; Order badges, Lee, Not started, 5/12/2026; Confirm catering, Kim, In progress, 5/15/2026; Print programs, Lee, Not started, 5/20/2026; Plan seating, Kim, Not started, 5/22/2026

## How it works

`<>` means "is not equal to", so `C2:C9<>G1` is TRUE for every task that isn't Done. FILTER keeps those rows. Because the status to hide sits in a cell, the same formula can hide "Not started" instead.

## Other ways

- `=FILTER(A2:D9,NOT(C2:C9=G1))`: NOT flips a test. Same result; some people find it easier to read.
- `=FILTER(A2:D9,(C2:C9<>G1)*(B2:B9<>"Raj"))`: Multiply two not-equal tests to leave out two things at once. (Also hides Raj's tasks.)

## Common mistakes

- Comparisons ignore case, so "done" and "Done" are both hidden. Use `NOT(EXACT(C2:C9,G1))` if case matters.
- Blank statuses are kept, since an empty cell is not equal to "Done". Multiply by `(C2:C9<>"")` to drop them too.

## Questions

**How do I exclude rows that contain a word?**

Test with SEARCH and flip it: `=FILTER(A2:D9,NOT(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Done",C2:C9))))`.

**How do I exclude a list of values?**

Count each row in the list and keep zeros: `=FILTER(A2:D9,COUNTIF(G1:G3,C2:C9)=0)`.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/filter-out-rows-with-a-certain-value